Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH => Topic started by: Carriage House Farm on October 22, 2007, 07:03:06 pm

Title: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Carriage House Farm on October 22, 2007, 07:03:06 pm
How close is too close in terms of drift during the busy part of the year?

How much does it matter in terms of colony development?
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Michael Bush on October 22, 2007, 08:42:41 pm
Mine are all touching each other.  You can't get any closer.

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Stand1.jpg

I don't really see a problem.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: rdy-b on October 22, 2007, 09:25:22 pm
If there is drift use it to your advantage -could be possible that one or both end colonies will be stronger because of it- that would be the one to place your comb honey supper- works for me hope it works for you ;) RDY-B
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: pdmattox on October 22, 2007, 09:56:12 pm
I like rdy-b's thoughts and that is definately an advantage. You could also alternate the sides that the entance will be on. One face one wany and the next one facing the other but that might not work out with the way you are going to load boxes onto your mule.  You would be in a flight path no mater what side you were on. just my 3 cents.
(http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1390/pictureoffcamera008fg5.th.jpg) (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pictureoffcamera008fg5.jpg)
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Brian D. Bray on October 22, 2007, 11:47:45 pm
Placing your hives so that they touch on each side is a good way to over winter bees.  If drifting is a concern use some type of device (color, designs, etc.) to distinguish one hive from another.  One point of note, this is a subjective observation of mine--if you have your hives in a row and one is under or near a tree it will usually be the weakest hive in the yard.  The bees seem to drift away from that particular hive--maybe it's the shade thing.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on October 23, 2007, 12:01:00 am
Dallas, I have always admired your set up, even I remember when you first posted a picture of it, but it was from a different angle.  Lovely.

RDY-B you have some very good points.

Richard, another way if you would wish to prevent drifting would be to make a symbol on the front of each one, a different shape, for example.  But remember if you decide to do a symbol like a "diamond" and a "square", a diamond is just a square turned sideways  ;) ;) :).  You can do anything to make a hive look different than another one.  Bees orient to the position of their home, no matter what.

Sometimes you will notice on a nice warm day, in the afternoon usually, hundreds of bees hovering around the front of their colony.  They will be hovering, floating (whatever you may call it) backwards, looking at their home.  They are performing their orientation flight.  This ensures that in the next few days when they are leaving their hive to take on foraging duties, they will know what their home looks like and the where it is located.  After a few minutes they will go back inside.  They may do this a couple of times a day for a couple of days.  When you witness this marvel of nature, you will see what I mean.  It can sometimes look overwhelming and it may cause concern, but if you hang around even for a few minutes more, you will see the numbers decrease dramatically, the orientation flight is over. So cool.....

Bees perform their orientation flights (obviously) when they are just about old enough to leave the hive and leave behind the former duties that they were involved in.  (Older bees, if need arises, can re-assume the duties that they undertook inside their colony too).  The age-related tasks of the honeybees are a marvel in themselves.  That is a very good part of the biology of the honeybee to understand and study, and it is interesting too.

When I was on vacation this summer to a wedding across the other side of my country, I spent great deal of time typing out some very interesting data from a book that I have read twice now.  This book was written by Mark Winston, The Biology of the Honeybee.  Very deep book, but a very good book to read.  If you are interested, I could PM you the part of this book on the Aged Related Tasks of the Honeybee that I typed.   It would be my pleasure to do so and it is some very interesting reading  :) :) :)

Wow, sometimes I just don't know what happens to me, I get to ramblin' and get rather carried away with longish posts  :) ;) Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Carriage House Farm on November 05, 2007, 10:01:20 am
(http://gallery.mac.com/thesw0rdofroland/100046/IMG_1241/web.jpg)

I designed a simple pattern for one of the hives as a "device".  I figure it was something to get the family involved and let them design and select quilt patterns for the base.  2 Color designs and 2 piece stencils.  THis took me about 5 minutes all told not including waiting for one color to dry enough to put the other color on.

Might be more hassle than its worth.

Its sure looks nice though. Well, at least I think it does.    :-D
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on November 05, 2007, 10:56:17 am
Richard, a thing of beauty.  That is one beautiful looking set up you got going on there.  I love the long landing board with the design on the front of it, remarkable and you have done an excellent job!!!!

I have these long landing boards on my colonies too, no chance of the bees missing and falling in the grass and then having to get back up again to try to go home.  Yeah!!!!!  My hives' landing boards are not so nice looking as yours though, mine are just unpainted pieces of wood, but they still do the trick.  So, yes, I think that they look wonderful.  Have a wonderful and greatest of this day.  Cindi
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: rdy-b on November 05, 2007, 10:24:50 pm
whats it mean- RADIATION- ;) :) :lol: 8-) RDY-B
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: DennisB on November 06, 2007, 02:41:51 pm
Cindi,

You are so right about the fascination of watching them on their orientation flights. Since this is my first year I watch as often as I can to see the workings in front of the hive. I have noticed just lately (last couple of weeks) that there has been a lot of the orientation flying going on which leads me to believe that we should have a good group of young bees for the winter. Another thing that I have noticed a lot lately is the large number of guard bees at the entrances of the hives. Not aggressive at all but sure sticking their heads out and keeping an eye on things. Keep on rambling, I enjoy it!

Dennis
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: JP on November 14, 2007, 01:36:30 am
Was just thinking, what's one of the things we do when we move to a new place. We venture out little by little taking in landmarks of our new surroundings to enable us to pinpoint our new abodes. Sounds like an orientation flight to me. Of course you could just use a map or gps but where's the fun in that, right?
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 14, 2007, 01:44:28 am
Was just thinking, what's one of the things we do when we move to a new place. We venture out little by little taking in landmarks of our new surroundings to enable us to pinpoint our new abodes. Sounds like an orientation flight to me. Of course you could just use a map or gps but where's the fun in that, right?

I've never been lost in my life but I've been with a lot of people who were. 


(They didn't ask me.)
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on November 14, 2007, 10:09:33 am
JP, hey, that sounds like you have that pegged right down, it does sound vaguely familiar  :) :) :)  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Carriage House Farm on December 03, 2007, 11:08:59 pm
(http://gallery.mac.com/thesw0rdofroland/100046/IMG_1591/web.jpg)

And then there was TWO.

Needed a new color and found one already mixed at Home Depot for a buck.  I love those deals.

Anyways, now I have two "sets" of gear.  Just ordered 2 more, 2 medium nucs, and about 250 frames from Brushy.  I figure I would take advantage of the no shipping deal.

I think the next set of mediums are going to get painted a light purple.  Picked that up for our nursery but we decided not to use it.


Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on December 03, 2007, 11:18:05 pm
Richard, I love the colours that you have chosen for these colonies.  Boy does it look like a nice job.  Yea!!!  Good for you.  Have a beautiful and wonderful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Brian D. Bray on December 04, 2007, 12:14:05 am
Richard,  Those hive colors make me think of markers at the local air field.  Watch out for unauthorized landings.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Scadsobees on December 04, 2007, 09:05:03 am
Nice hives!  Just wait till the bees express their appreciation of your art and poop all over it :shock:  :-D

Are you planning on opening a window to let the bees in and out?   :roll:

Rick :-P
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Carriage House Farm on December 04, 2007, 09:38:28 am
Are you planning on opening a window to let the bees in and out?   :roll:

Naw.

I'm just gonna frame 'em and put 'em on the wall.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Finsky on December 05, 2007, 04:15:02 pm
You pay much atention in this question. I prefer to keep hives apart. And hives have area me to work
No use to keep in line.

It depends on sun or wind , on what side I prefer to work. If wind carry my scent into hive, they will be angry.

If you are person of order, keep hives in order. You get a good night sleep.-
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on December 06, 2007, 09:02:44 am
Finsky, I keep my colonies as you do.  I have room around each colony to work from either side I want, and also could from the back as well, which I often do.  I think with the room around each hive, it is good, we have those winds that sometimes blow gently when I am working the colonies. I know better than to work them when strong winds prevail.  I believe that when there is enough hive separation such as I spoke about, there will not be very much drifting.  That is most times a good thing.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: JP on December 07, 2007, 08:20:49 am
I keep just enough distance between the hives that I can put tools to the side or the top cover next to the hive when I'm working them. Other than that there are advantages to having them kinda close so you are not spread out too much when working them. Also if you just don't have a lot of space then you work with what you've got and set them next to each other. I'm pretty certain M.B. has his hives right next to each other.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Brian D. Bray on December 08, 2007, 12:09:52 am
I keep just enough distance between the hives that I can put tools to the side or the top cover next to the hive when I'm working them. Other than that there are advantages to having them kinda close so you are not spread out too much when working them. Also if you just don't have a lot of space then you work with what you've got and set them next to each other. I'm pretty certain M.B. has his hives right next to each other.

I do the same, just a enough room for me and my wheel chair and I use the adjacent hive as a work counter.  I paint the landing boards of each hive a different color to help with "homing in" on final approach.
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on December 08, 2007, 10:30:32 am
Brian, that is a great idea about the work space on top of the hive.  I kind of do the same thing.  As I work each colony, I place my equipment on the top of the one before, that would be my hive tools, feather, writing book, and anything else.  That also helps me to keep track of which hive I have worked on.  Sometimes I get mixed up with whose who in the zoo. 

Don't ya just love to hear what people use as their tools for making their work in the colonies more simple, I love it, I love to hear of all things people are up to, yea!!!!  Have a wonderful and great day, great health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Carriage House Farm on December 20, 2007, 08:54:23 pm
OK, here they are before they get abused and no longer look pretty.   :-D

(http://gallery.mac.com/thesw0rdofroland/100046/IMG_1762/web.jpg) 

Now I just spring to get here.

Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: JP on December 20, 2007, 08:59:07 pm
Nice work Richard, really nice!

Sincerely, JP
Title: Re: Drift - Hive Separation
Post by: Cindi on December 21, 2007, 09:18:18 am
Richard, oooh, really nice job.  You will be so happy that you had taken pictures when you see what they look like by the end of the season, after they are covered with poop, the mustard yellow will go well with the colour of your hives, you will see new designs, hee, hee  :)  So, yes, job well done!!!!  Thanks for posting this picture, take pictures the same time next year and do a comparison, hee, hee.  Have a wonderful and greatest of days.  Cindi